School Overview
Cornell University is a private, coeducational research university located in Ithaca, New York. Cornell is one of the eight Ivy League institutions–which are considered by many in academia and industry as some of the most prestigious, higher education institutions in the United States. The university was established by Andrew Dickson White (an historian and educator) and Ezra Cornell (a wealthy, American businessman) in 1865. The institution was originally founded as a comprehensive university that would provide education in all fields of study–an unconventional education model for the time.
Cornell offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through 7 undergraduate, academic colleges and 7 graduate studies divisions. In addition to its main campus in Ithaca, Cornell has branch campuses (medical learning centers) in New York City, New York and Education City, Qatar. Even though Cornell is a privately owned and operated institution, three of its undergraduate colleges are “statutory colleges” that receive a substantial amount of public financial support from the state legislature. The university is one of only two land grant universities in the state, and as such provides outreach programs in just about every county statewide.
Today, Cornell has nearly 250,000 alumni working and living throughout the world. Among its graduates are Rhodes Scholars (28), Nobel Laureates (41), Marshall Scholars (31) and many other accomplished businessmen, lawyers, politicians and community leaders. Total annual enrollment at Cornell is roughly 21,000 students (14,000 undergrad and 7,000 graduate) which come from across the United States and over 120 foreign countries.
Cornell University is recognized as one of only two universities in the United States (the other being Oregon State University) that are Sea Grant, Land Grant, Sun Grant and Space Grant higher education institutions.
Academics
While Cornell has nearly 7,000 graduate students, it has an undergraduate class nearly twice that size, and is still considered primarily an undergraduate school. Cornell is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has been since early 1921. Cornell operates on a 3-semester year, with the first and last semesters being 4 months in duration and the middle semester lasting only 3 weeks. Fall semester begins in late August and ends in December. Spring semester starts in January and ends in May. The 3 week winter semester is held during the month of January.
Cornell is known for its long and distinguished academic history. It is a university of many firsts. It was the first university to grant journalism and veterinary medicine degrees. It was the first university to award doctoral degrees in electrical and industrial engineering. It was one of the pioneers in hotel administration, labor relations, Far Eastern languages, American studies and industrial education.
Rankings
As recent as 2012, Cornell acheived the rank of No.14 in QS World University Rankings, a highly respected annual university rankings published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The same year it achieved No.16 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, another highly respected annual world university rankings report published by the Times Higher Education (THE) (a British magazine). In the 2012 U.S. News & World Report National University rankings, Cornell is listed among the top ten universities in the nation. Cornell was named the “Hottest Ivy” in Newsweek‘s list of the top 25 Hot Schools in America. In 2011, the university was No.14 in a list of 300 “Best World Universities” put together by the Human Resources and Labor Review. It was listed as No.51 on a rankings report produced by Forbes magazine based solely on student criteria. According to just about every major publication that produces reputable, college rankings, Cornell is consistently recognized as one of the top universities in the world.
Many of its individual academic programs are also highly ranked. In 2013, Cornell’s Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree achieved the rank of No.1 undergraduate architecture program in the nation according to Architecture Daily (archdaily.com), Architectural Record and the journal DesignIntelligence. In fact, between 2000 and 2013 Cornell’s undergraduate architecture program has consistently ranked among the top three programs in the nation. Cornell’s Master of Landscape Architecture program ranked No.4 in the nation in both 2011 and 2012. The Sloan Program in Health Administration at Cornell University is also one of the university’s highest ranked programs; in 2011 it was ranked No.14 in the nation.
In 2012, Cornell’s undergraduate AACSB-accredited business school (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management) achieved the rank of No.3 in Businessweek‘s list of top business schools in the United States. The same year it was ranked No. 10 by U.S. News & World Report. Cornell’s graduate business school, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, has been ranked among the top 10 MBA programs in the nation several times over the last decade by publications including Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report. Other top ranked departments at Cornell include the Weill Cornell Medical School, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Cornell Law School. Cornell’s law school has one of the top graduate placement rates in the nation. In 2005, it placed law students in the top 50 law firms in the United States, the 6th highest placement rate of any law school nationwide.
In 2008, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Cornell’s graduate engineering program No.9 among all graduate engineering programs in the nation. Cornell’s undergraduate engineering program is also well-known for producing a large number of graduates that go on to earn Ph.D.’s in engineering or natural sciences, and has been ranked among the top undergraduate engineering programs in the United States. Even though Cornell is recognized as primarily an undergraduate university it ranks No.6 in the nation for the number of graduate programs that have ranked in the top ten nationally in their respective fields. Overall, Cornell’s doctoral programs ranked No.11 and its undergraduate programs ranked No.12 in the nation in 2012, according to the “Inside the Ivory Tower” survey produced by Foreign Policy magazine.
Admissions
Out of the nearly 38,000 applications that Cornell received in 2012, it only accepted 6,100 students, an acceptance rate of just over 16%. Two years prior, Cornell’s acceptance rate was 19%, and the year before that 20%. Cornell is considered to be a selective university and has become more selective in recent years. About 90% of entering freshmen at Cornell were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Their average SAT scores were 720 in Math and 700 in Verbal. All Cornell applicants are required to submit all SAT scores (not a common requirement among U.S. universities). Students at Cornell come from almost every state in the nation, and over 120 foreign countries. Nearly 30% of Cornell’s undergraduate class is composed of minorities– who are provided special admissions consideration.
Cornell’s graduate school has an acceptance rate right around 21%: its law school 20%; its veterinary medicine school 11%; its business school (Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Full-time MBA program) 10%; and, its medical school (Weill Cornell Medical School) 4%.
Financial Aid
From its inception, Cornell has been dedicated to providing equal opportunity education for aspiring college students, regardless of financial status. Within ten years of its founding in 1865, Cornell began admitting both women and minorities, an uncommon practice for the time. It was also one of the first universities to provide students with financial assistance through student loan and work-study programs. As early as 1880 the school began offering need-based grants, and shortly thereafter scholarships.
In cooperation with other Ivy League institutions of the era, Cornell began to set standards for student financial aid policies, procedures and practices. In 2010, Cornell instituted a “matching” policy where it will match any financial aid incentives offered to any accepted applicant from any other top-notch school including Duke University, Stanford and MIT, if the student is trying to decide which institution to attend based on the financial aid package.
Recently, Cornell introduced a new financial aid policy, which replaces need-based student loans, for undergraduate students from families with incomes less than $75,000 a year, with scholarships that don’t have to be repaid. For students from families that make between $75-120k a year, need-based loans have been capped at $3,000 annually, and for families with incomes over $120,000, need-based loans are extended up to $7,500 a year. This new financial aid policy is costing Cornell an additional $14 million per year which is being financed by pulling funds from the university’s endowment and donations by wealthy donors. About 40% of Cornell’s entering freshman class qualify for need-based loans and scholarships. Currently, the average Cornell undergraduate student graduates with about $21,000 of debt.
International Education Offerings
As a higher education institution dedicated to international studies, Cornell offers its undergraduate students a comprehensive selection of programs with an international focus. These include majors and degrees in German Studies, French Studies, Jewish Studies, Latino Studies, African Studies, Romance Studies, Russian Literature, Near Eastern Studies and Far Eastern Studies. For more adventurous students, Cornell offers various study-abroad education programs at international locations throughout the world.
For students interested in pursuing a major in any of the Asian Studies (e.g., Southeast Asia, China and Asia-Pacific or South Asia) Cornell offers an excellent study-abroad program in Beijing, China through a cooperative agreement with Peking University. A similar agreement has been set up with Tsinghua University to exchange graduate students and faculty with Cornell’s College of Engineering, and another with Nanyang Technological University to exchange students with Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. Other exchanges have been established between Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and University of the Philippines-Los Banos and the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Japan. One more noteworthy association exists between Cornell and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Together these two institutions offer a joint course on international consulting.
Through the Weill Cornell Medical College campus in Qatar, Cornell focuses on training doctors to assist in medical efforts and administration of health care services throughout the region. In cooperation with Stanford University and the countries of Israel and Jordan, Cornell has developed a comprehensive database of the living organisms and systems that exist on the border between these two countries. Through a partnership with Canada’s Queen’s University, Cornell now offers an innovative, state-of-the-art Executive MBA program that provides both on-campus and online learning options.
Cornell University is a strong proponent of the United Nations and is one of several members of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Association, which was developed for the sole purpose of aligning colleges, universities and research institutions with the United Nations.
Student Life at Cornell
While Cornell is well-known for its reputation as one of the top, academic undergraduate higher education institutions in the nation, it’s just as well known for its exceptional student life. Below we’ll address a few of the many facets (e.g. activities, housing, athletics, etc.) of student life at Cornell that sets the university apart from the competition.
Student Activities and Organizations
Cornell has approximately 900 official student organizations and clubs, which include everything from fencing to jousting to singing to competitive chess to politics to video gaming (and everything in-between). Cornell’s extensive selection of student run organizations and clubs are financed by student fees, membership fees, academic departments, the Graduate & Professional Student Assembly and the Student Assembly. Together these latter two groups have an annual budget of just over $3 million. In addition to student organizations, the Student Assembly and Graduate Assembly provide financial assistance to an on-campus student theater and concert commission.
Some of the more popular student organizations on campus include the International Affairs Society, the Cornell Catholic Community, the Big Red Marching Band and the Cornell University Glee Club. Each year Cornell’s International Affairs Society hosts a Model United Nations Conference on-campus for roughly 500 politically minded, high school students, and also sends over one hundred of its own students to Model United Nations conferences held at colleges and universities across the United States. The Cornell Catholic Community organization is the largest Catholic organization at the university. Another similar student organization is the Cornell United Religious Work group which pulls in students from varied and diverse religious backgrounds, faiths, denominations and traditions. One of Cornell’s most popular music groups is the Big Red Marching Band, which is by no means Cornell’s only music group. Cornell is home to what seems like a never-ending list of music groups and organizations, including; a classical music group, jazz music group, reggae music group, ethnic styles music group, and more. The Cornell University Glee Club, a sixty-member chorus of male singers, holds the record for being Cornell’s oldest student organization. Cornell is one of the few Ivy League universities to sponsor several secret honor societies (e.g., Quill and Dagger, Sphinx Head, etc.), some of which date back over 120 years. One of Cornell’s student groups, a think-tank, was established specifically to think of ways to improve life on campus for students.
General Information
Admission Office 410 Thurston Avenue Ithaca, NY 14850-2488 (607) 255-5241 Fax: (607) 255-0659 [email protected] Contact: Jason Locke Director of Undergraduate Admissions |
Main Address Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-2000 www.cornell.edu |
Size Total undergrads: 13,846 First-time degree-seeking freshmen: 3,139 Degree-seeking undergrads: 13,772 Graduate enrollment: 5,497 Setting |
Degrees offered: |
Tuition & Fees
Estimated Expenses for Academic Year | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
Tuition and fees | $34,781 | $36,504 | $37,954 | $39,666 | +4.51% |
Books and Supplies | $720 | $740 | $760 | $780 | +2.63% |
Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
Room and Board | $11,190 | $11,640 | $12,160 | $12,650 | +4.03% |
Other | $1,460 | $1,500 | $1,540 | $1,580 | +2.60% |
Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
Room and Board | $11,190 | $11,640 | $12,160 | $12,650 | +4.03% |
Other | $1,460 | $1,500 | $1,540 | $1,580 | +2.60% |
Total Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
In-state On Campus | $48,151 | $50,384 | $52,414 | $54,676 | +4.32% |
In-state Off Campus | $48,151 | $50,384 | $52,414 | $54,676 | +4.32% |
In-state with Family | $35,501 | $37,244 | $38,714 | $40,446 | +4.47% |
Average Graduate Student Tuition & Fees | |
Tuition for In-state Students | $29,500 |
In-state Student Fees | $76 |
Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $29,500 |
Out-of-state Fees | $76 |
Financial Aid
Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
All students financial aid | 1,708 | 54% | ||
Grant or scholarship aid | 1,552 | 49% | $37,468,274 | $24,142 |
• Federal grants | 351 | 11% | $2,222,458 | $6,332 |
• Pell grants | 344 | 11% | $1,177,927 | $3,424 |
• Other federal grants | 337 | 11% | $1,044,531 | $3,099 |
State/local government grant or scholarships | 513 | 16% | $1,205,403 | $2,350 |
Institutional grants or scholarships | 1,379 | 44% | $34,040,413 | $24,685 |
Student loan aid | 797 | 25% | $4,987,620 | $6,258 |
• Federal student loans | 732 | 23% | $2,751,274 | $3,759 |
• Other student loans | 244 | 8% | $2,236,346 | $9,165 |
All Degrees and Programs
Program Completions for Most Recent Year | BA/BS | MA/MS | PhD | AA/AS | CERT |
Total of All Education Programs | 3965 | 1922 | 774 | – | 5 |
Agriculture | 414 | 24 | 33 | – | – |
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations | – | – | – | – | – |
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding | – | 2 | 9 | – | – |
Agricultural Animal Breeding | – | – | – | – | – |
Agricultural Business and Management | – | – | – | – | – |
Agricultural Economics | 241 | 9 | 3 | – | – |
Agronomy and Crop Science | – | 2 | 4 | – | – |
Animal Sciences | 125 | 4 | 2 | – | – |
Food Science | 14 | 3 | 12 | – | – |
Horticultural Science | – | – | – | – | – |
International Agriculture | 11 | – | – | – | – |
Ornamental Horticulture | – | 4 | 3 | – | – |
Plant Sciences | 18 | – | – | – | – |
Viticulture and Enology | 5 | – | – | – | – |
Architecture and Related Services | 174 | 103 | 5 | – | – |
Architectural History and Criticism | – | 3 | 1 | – | – |
Architecture | 102 | 44 | – | – | – |
Architecture and Related Services, Other | – | – | – | – | – |
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning | 32 | 34 | 4 | – | – |
Environmental Design/Architecture | 24 | 4 | – | – | – |
Landscape Architecture | 16 | 18 | – | – | – |
Area, Gender, Cultural, Ethnic, and Group Studies | 80 | 16 | 3 | – | – |
African-American/Black Studies | 4 | 6 | – | – | – |
American/United States Studies/Civilization | 20 | – | – | – | – |
Asian Studies/Civilization | 34 | 5 | – | – | – |
East Asian Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
Gay/Lesbian Studies | 5 | – | – | – | – |
German Studies | 2 | 5 | 2 | – | – |
Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 15 | – | 1 | – | – |
Biology and Biomedical Sciences | 469 | 8 | 87 | – | – |
Animal Genetics | – | 1 | 10 | – | – |
Animal Physiology | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Biochemistry | – | 2 | 9 | – | – |
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 106 | – | – | – | – |
Biology and Biological Sciences, General | 342 | – | – | – | – |
Biometry/Biometrics | 12 | – | – | – | – |
Biophysics | – | – | 4 | – | – |
Botany/Plant Biology | – | – | 8 | – | – |
Computational Biology | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Ecology | – | 1 | 9 | – | – |
Entomology | 9 | – | 5 | – | – |
Environmental Toxicology | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Evolutionary Biology | – | – | 7 | – | – |
Immunology | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology | – | 2 | 8 | – | – |
Molecular Biology | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Neuroscience | – | – | 7 | – | – |
Pharmacology | – | – | 1 | – | – |
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology | – | 2 | 4 | – | – |
Zoology/Animal Biology | – | – | – | – | – |
Business, Administration, Management, Marketing, etc. | 474 | 630 | 10 | – | 5 |
Business Administration and Management | – | 473 | 5 | – | – |
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management | 241 | 67 | 2 | – | – |
Labor and Industrial Relations | 233 | 67 | 3 | – | 5 |
Real Estate | – | 23 | – | – | – |
Communication and Journalism Programs | 88 | 4 | 4 | – | – |
Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 88 | 4 | 4 | – | – |
Computing and Information Sciences | 127 | 103 | 21 | – | – |
Computer and Information Sciences | 15 | – | – | – | – |
Computer Science | 93 | 103 | 19 | – | – |
Information Technology | 19 | – | 2 | – | – |
Education | 1 | 22 | 3 | – | – |
Agricultural Teacher Education | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Biology Teacher Education | – | 3 | – | – | – |
Chemistry Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
Education | – | 19 | 3 | – | – |
Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
Mathematics Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
Physics Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
Engineering | 671 | 520 | 105 | – | – |
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering | – | 21 | 2 | – | – |
Agricultural Engineering | 80 | 13 | 11 | – | – |
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | – | 81 | 9 | – | – |
Chemical Engineering | 85 | 35 | 17 | – | – |
Civil Engineering | 65 | 48 | 5 | – | – |
Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 100 | 106 | 25 | – | – |
Engineering Mechanics | – | 1 | 2 | – | – |
Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | 45 | 11 | 16 | – | – |
Engineering | 24 | – | – | – | – |
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 17 | – | – | – | – |
Materials Engineering | 27 | 20 | 9 | – | – |
Mechanical Engineering | 134 | 59 | 3 | – | – |
Nuclear Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
Operations Research | 94 | 85 | 6 | – | – |
Systems Engineering | – | 40 | – | – | – |
Engineering Technology | – | 45 | – | – | – |
Engineering/Industrial Management | – | 45 | – | – | – |
English Language, Composition and Literature/Letters | 79 | 25 | 12 | – | – |
Creative Writing | – | 8 | – | – | – |
English Language and Literature | 79 | 17 | 12 | – | – |
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 82 | 23 | 27 | – | – |
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 9 | – | 5 | – | – |
Comparative Literature | 10 | 5 | 7 | – | – |
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 2 | 4 | – | – |
French Language and Literature | 19 | – | – | – | – |
German Language and Literature | 2 | – | – | – | – |
Italian Language and Literature | 9 | – | – | – | – |
Linguistics | 9 | 2 | 6 | – | – |
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | 14 | 5 | – | – |
Russian Language and Literature | 4 | – | – | – | – |
Spanish Language and Literature | 20 | – | – | – | – |
Health Services and Allied Health Sciences | – | 17 | 98 | – | – |
Health/Health Care Administration/Management | – | 17 | – | – | – |
Pre-medicine/Pre-medical Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
Veterinary Medicine | – | – | 87 | – | – |
Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences | – | – | 11 | – | – |
History | 83 | 9 | 5 | – | – |
History and Philosophy Of Science and Technology | – | – | – | – | – |
History | 83 | 9 | 5 | – | – |
Human Services | 64 | 71 | 3 | – | – |
Community Organization and Advocacy | – | 3 | 3 | – | – |
Public Administration | – | 68 | – | – | – |
Public Policy Analysis | 64 | – | – | – | – |
Legal and Law Studies | – | 80 | 194 | – | – |
American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence | – | 80 | 1 | – | – |
Law | – | – | 193 | – | – |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 26 | – | – | – | – |
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 26 | – | – | – | – |
Mathematics and Statistics | 71 | 52 | 19 | – | – |
Applied Mathematics | – | 4 | 7 | – | – |
Mathematics | 71 | 12 | 9 | – | – |
Statistics | – | 36 | 3 | – | – |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | 90 | 15 | 9 | – | – |
Historic Preservation and Conservation | – | 8 | – | – | – |
Medieval and Renaissance Studies | – | 3 | 3 | – | – |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 31 | – | – | – | – |
Nutrition Sciences | 55 | – | 6 | – | – |
Science, Technology and Society | 4 | 4 | – | – | – |
Natural Resources and Conservation | 57 | 8 | 5 | – | – |
Natural Resource Economics | – | – | – | – | – |
Natural Resources/Conservation | 57 | 8 | 5 | – | – |
Personal and Culinary Services | – | – | – | – | – |
Institutional Food Workers | – | – | – | – | – |
Physical Sciences | 122 | 76 | 65 | – | – |
Astronomy | 3 | 9 | 3 | – | – |
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 18 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
Chemistry | 54 | 25 | 31 | – | – |
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other | 21 | – | – | – | – |
Geology and Earth Science | 1 | 3 | 5 | – | – |
Physics | 25 | 38 | 25 | – | – |
Psychology | 84 | 1 | 6 | – | – |
Developmental and Child Psychology | – | – | 2 | – | – |
Psychology | 84 | 1 | 4 | – | – |
Social Sciences | 466 | 50 | 48 | – | – |
Anthropology | 19 | 12 | 7 | – | – |
Archaeology | 8 | – | – | – | – |
Development Economics and International Development | – | 7 | – | – | – |
Economics | 236 | 12 | 21 | – | – |
Political Science and Government | 141 | 12 | 12 | – | – |
Social Sciences, Other | – | – | 3 | – | – |
Sociology | 62 | 7 | 5 | – | – |
Visual and Performing Arts | 115 | 14 | 12 | – | – |
Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 15 | 1 | 2 | – | – |
Dance | 4 | – | – | – | – |
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts | 11 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts | 33 | 5 | 3 | – | – |
Film/Cinema/Video Studies | 14 | – | – | – | – |
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | – | – | – | – | – |
Fine/Studio Arts | 28 | 3 | – | – | – |
Music Theory and Composition | – | – | – | – | – |
Music | 10 | 1 | 3 | – | – |
Musicology and Ethnomusicology | – | 3 | 3 | – | – |
Work and Family Studies | 128 | 6 | – | – | – |
Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
Housing and Human Environments | – | 4 | – | – | – |
Human Development and Family Studies | 128 | 2 | – | – | – |
Above data represent first majors only.
(-) Indicates that program is not offered at this award level.
Admissions Information
Application Fee College has an application fee: Yes Regular application fee: $70 Online application fee: $70 |
Enrollment Rates Average Percent applicants admitted: 21% Percent students who return sophomore year: 96% |
Admissions Considerations Secondary school GPA: Required Secondary school rank: Recommended Secondary school record: Required Recommendations: Required Admission test scores (SAT/ACT): Required College-prep program completed: Recommended TOEFL: Required Undergraduate Admissions Fall 2011 |
Test Scores: Fall 2011
SAT Critical Reading
SAT Math
ACT Composite
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Enrollment Statistics
Undergraduate Attendance Status![]() |
Undergraduate Student Gender![]() |
Undergraduate Student Age![]() |
Undergraduate Student Residence![]() |
Graduate Attendance Status
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Retention and Graduation Rates
Retention Rates for First-Time Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees![]() |
Overall Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates for Students![]() |
Graduation Rates for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Gender for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
Undergraduate Majors
Agriculture & Related Sciences Agribusiness Operations B Architecture & Related Programs Architecture B Area, Ethnic, Cultural, & Gender Studies African-American Studies B Arts, Visual & Performing Art History/Criticism/Conservation B Biological & Biomedical Sciences Animal Genetics B Business, Management, & Marketing Hotel/Motel Management B Communications & Journalism Communications/Rhetoric B Computer & Information Sciences Computer Science B Education Agricultural Education B Engineering Agricultural Engineering B English Language & Literature English Language & Literature – General B Family & Consumer Sciences Consumer Economics B Foreign Language & Literature Classics B Health Professions & Clinical Sciences Premedicine B History History – General B Liberal Arts & Sciences Liberal Arts & Sciences B Mathematics Mathematics – General B Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Neuroscience B Natural Resources & Conservation Natural Resource Economics B Philosophy & Religion Philosophy B Physical Sciences Astronomy B Psychology Psychology – General B Public Administration & Services Community Organization/Advocacy B Social Sciences Anthropology B |
Degree levels for each major are designated by the following letters:
B = Bachelor’s degree C = Certificate or diploma |
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
Cornell University Highlights
School Information
Phone Number: | (607) 255-2000 |
Website: | www.cornell.edu |
Type of School: | 4-year, Private non-profit |
Apply Online: | https://www.commonapp.org/ |
Address: | 300 Day Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 |
Setting: | City: Small |
Campus Housing: | Yes |
Students & Programs
Student Population: | 24,027 |
6-yr Graduation Rate (Bachelor's): | 93% |
Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
Distance Learning Programs: | Yes |
Distance Learning Students*: | 23,052 (96% of total students) |
Degree Levels Offered: | Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate |
* Students taking at least 1 distance learning course
Tuition & Financial Aid*
In-state Tuition: | $57,222 |
Out-of-state Tuition: | $57,222 |
% of Students Receiving Financial Aid: | 62% |
Avg. Amount of Grant or Scholarship Aid Awarded: | $44,955 |
* Full-time beginning undergraduate students. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.
Cornell University Programs
See the degree programs that are offered at Cornell University.
Degree Name | Cert | Assoc | Bach | Mast | Doct |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations and Related Sciences | 10 | 11 | 9 | ||
Architecture and Related Services | 6 | 7 | 2 | ||
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | 4 | 5 | ||
Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 4 | 20 | 22 | ||
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 2 | 5 | 3 | ||
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
Education | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Engineering | 11 | 12 | 12 | ||
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-related Fields | 2 | 1 | |||
English Language and Literature/Letters | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 8 | 6 | 6 | ||
Health Professions and Related Programs | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
History | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
Legal Professions and Studies | 1 | 1 | |||
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 2 | ||||
Mathematics and Statistics | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 | 4 | 3 | ||
Natural Resources and Conservation | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
Personal and Culinary Services | 1 | ||||
Philosophy and Religious Studies | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
Physical Sciences | 6 | 5 | 5 | ||
Psychology | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
Public Administration and Social Service Professions | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
Social Sciences | 7 | 7 | 5 | ||
Visual and Performing Arts | 9 | 8 | 7 | ||
Grand total | 1 | 97 | 119 | 104 |
* Based on programs that produced 2019-2020 graduates
Tuition & Financial Aid
See what it costs to enroll at Cornell University and how many students are receiving scholarships, grants, or loans as financial aid to help cover the costs of tuition.
Undergraduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
---|---|
In-state | $57,222 |
Out-of-state | $57,222 |
Books and supplies | $970 |
Graduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
---|---|
In-state | $30,022 |
Out-of-state | $30,022 |
Undergraduate Student Financial Aid, 2018-2019
Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students
Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
---|---|---|---|
Any student financial aid | 2,047 | 62% | – |
Grant or scholarship aid | 1,570 | 48% | $44,955 |
Student loan aid | 1,362 | 41% | $7,078 |
All Undergraduate Students
Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
---|---|---|---|
Grant or scholarship aid | 7,138 | 47% | $45,719 |
Federal student loans | 5,282 | 35% | $4,648 |
Admissions & Enrollment
See the admission requirements for Cornell University. Find out how many students apply and how many are accepted. View a graphical breakdown of the gender, age, and ethnicity of currently enrolled Cornell University students.
Undergraduate Admissions, Fall 2020
Total | Male | Female | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of applicants | 49,114 | 25,582 | 23,532 | Percent admitted | 100% | 9% | 12% |
Percent admitted who enrolled | 6% | 6% | 7% |
Admissions Considerations
Required | Recommended | Optional | |
---|---|---|---|
Secondary school GPA | |||
Secondary school rank | |||
Secondary school record | |||
Completion of college-preparatory program | |||
Recommendations | |||
Formal demonstration of competencies | |||
Admission test scores | |||
Other Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | |||
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language |
Cornell University Enrollment, Fall 2020
Total Enrollment | 24,027 |
---|---|
Undergraduate enrollment | 15,043 |
Graduate enrollment | 8,984 |
Undergraduate Attendance
Undergraduate Gender
Undergraduate Age
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Undergraduate Distance Education
Undergraduates taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
Graduate Distance Education
Graduate students taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
Cornell University Accreditation
This institution is accredited by New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education
Specialized institution accreditations:
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
- Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
- Didactic Program in Dietetics
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
- Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education
- Veterinary Medicine (VET) - Programs leading to a D.V.M. or D.M.V. degree
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
- Health Services Administration (HSA) - Graduate programs in health services administration
- Council on Education for Public Health
- Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
*General information for this school has been gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) database, a service provided by the U.S. Department of Education. CollegeAtlas.org does not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
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